Power plants in North Carolina
North Carolina has 924 power plants of 1 MW or more in the 2025 EIA-860 data, with 39.9 GW of nameplate capacity, the ninth-largest total among the 50 states and DC. Natural gas accounts for 48% of that capacity. The biggest single site is Roxboro at 2,558 MW. Units that came online from 2020 to 2025 add 3,627 MW, led by solar at 66%. Units retired since 2016 at plants still operating total 482 MW, most of it coal.
- Natural gas19,332 MW48%
- Solar7,047 MW18%
- Nuclear5,395 MW14%
- Coal4,409 MW11%
- Hydroelectric1,888 MW4.7%
- Oil and petroleum577 MW1.4%
- Biomass and waste425 MW1.1%
- Wind397 MW1.0%
- Battery storage310 MW0.8%
- Pumped-storage hydro95 MW0.2%
- Other sources54 MW0.1%
What is running, by the decade it came online
NuclearCoalNatural gasOil and petroleumHydroelectricPumped-storage hydroWindSolarBattery storageBiomass and wasteOther sources
Columns above the line show capacity still operating in 2025, stacked by fuel. Below the line: capacity retired in each decade at plants that still operate.
The 25 largest plants
| Rank | Plant | Runs on | Capacity | First unit | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roxboro | Coal | 2,558 MW | 1966 | Duke Energy Progress (NC) |
| 2 | Belews Creek | Natural gas | 2,491 MW | 1974 | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC |
| 3 | McGuire | Nuclear | 2,441 MW | 1981 | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC |
| 4 | Sherwood H Smith Jr Energy Complex | Natural gas | 2,245 MW | 2001 | Duke Energy Progress (NC) |
| 5 | Lincoln Combustion | Natural gas | 2,156 MW | 1995 | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC |
| 6 | Marshall (NC) | Coal | 2,119 MW | 1965 | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC |
| 7 | Brunswick Nuclear | Nuclear | 2,003 MW | 1975 | Duke Energy Progress (NC) |
| 8 | James E. Rogers Energy Complex | Natural gas | 1,530 MW | 1972 | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC |
| 9 | Rowan | Natural gas | 1,192 MW | 2001 | Southern Power Co |
| 10 | Lee Combined Cycle Plant | Natural gas | 1,068 MW | 2012 | Duke Energy Progress (NC) |
| 11 | Asheville | Natural gas | 1,012 MW | 1999 | Duke Energy Progress (NC) |
| 12 | Wayne County Energy Complex | Natural gas | 980 MW | 2000 | Duke Energy Progress (NC) |
| 13 | Rockingham County CT Station | Natural gas | 978 MW | 2000 | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC |
| 14 | Harris (NC) | Nuclear | 951 MW | 1987 | Duke Energy Progress (NC) |
| 15 | L V Sutton Combined Cycle | Natural gas | 851 MW | 2013 | Duke Energy Progress (NC) |
| 16 | Mayo | Coal | 763 MW | 1983 | Duke Energy Progress (NC) |
| 17 | Cleveland Cnty Generating Facility | Natural gas | 736 MW | 2012 | Southern Power Co |
| 18 | Buck | Natural gas | 698 MW | 2011 | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC |
| 19 | Dan River | Natural gas | 698 MW | 2012 | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC |
| 20 | Kings Mountain Energy Center | Natural gas | 544 MW | 2018 | Carolina Power Partners, LLC |
| 21 | Cowans Ford | Hydroelectric | 350 MW | 1963 | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC |
| 22 | Anson County Generation Facility | Natural gas | 344 MW | 2007 | North Carolina El Member Corp |
| 23 | Hamlet Generating Facility | Natural gas | 344 MW | 2007 | North Carolina El Member Corp |
| 24 | Butler-Warner Generation Plant | Natural gas | 305 MW | 1976 | Fayetteville Public Works Commission |
| 25 | Fontana Dam | Hydroelectric | 255 MW | 1945 | Tennessee Valley Authority |
Largest plant for each main fuel
| Main fuel | Plants | Capacity | Largest plant | Its capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 21 | 18.3 GW | Belews Creek | 2,491 MW |
| Solar | 752 | 7,022 MW | American Beech Solar LLC | 140 MW |
| Nuclear | 3 | 5,395 MW | McGuire | 2,441 MW |
| Coal | 4 | 5,472 MW | Roxboro | 2,558 MW |
| Hydroelectric | 37 | 1,792 MW | Cowans Ford | 350 MW |
| Oil and petroleum | 45 | 603 MW | Rosemary Power Station | 180 MW |
| Biomass and waste | 24 | 424 MW | Domtar Paper Co LLC Plymouth NC | 114 MW |
| Wind | 2 | 397 MW | Desert Wind Farm, LLC | 208 MW |
| Battery storage | 34 | 334 MW | Knightdale Battery | 100 MW |
| Pumped-storage hydro | 1 | 166 MW | Hiwassee Dam | 166 MW |
| Other sources | 1 | 54 MW | PCS Phosphate | 54 MW |
Balancing areas
| Area | Plants | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Carolinas | 360 | 19.7 GW |
| Duke Energy Progress East | 417 | 16.2 GW |
| PJM Interconnection | 128 | 3,167 MW |
| Tennessee Valley Authority | 5 | 618 MW |
| Alcoa Power Generating, Inc. - Yadkin Division | 4 | 215 MW |
| Duke Energy Progress West | 8 | 41.6 MW |
| Southeastern Power Administration | 2 | 5.1 MW |
Biggest operators here
| Operator | Plants | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | 30 | 14.0 GW |
| Duke Energy Progress (NC) | 23 | 13.2 GW |
| Southern Power Co | 4 | 2,005 MW |
| Cypress Creek Renewables | 129 | 904 MW |
| North Carolina El Member Corp | 34 | 843 MW |
| Strata Manager, LLC | 156 | 825 MW |
| Carolina Power Partners, LLC | 1 | 544 MW |
| SunStrong Management | 44 | 466 MW |
| Virginia Electric & Power Co | 3 | 458 MW |
| Dominion Renewable Energy | 11 | 438 MW |